One Last Chance
by River Flows Backwards
Summary: For the first time in her life, Sakura would not be the weak link. A time-travel fic. On Hiatus for an undetermined amount of time.
1. Chapter 1

***Last Edited: June 12, 2012**

**Title:** One Last Chance

**Summary: **For the first time in her life, Sakura would not be the weak link. A time-travel fict.

**Author: **River Flows Backwards

**Beta: **None, but searching

**Beware: **The first chapter of this is going to be a little bit cliche unfortunately, but after this my story is not going to be like anything else that you have ever read before

**Important Notes: **This is my first fanfiction: questions, comments, suggestions, flames, cookie recipes, and grammar corrections are all welcome! Anonymous reviews have been enabled for those of you who do not have an account or want it. If you see any flaws (major or minor) please tell me! Enjoy~!

**X.x.X**

**Prologue**

Sakura stared at the corpse in horror, her mind unable to take in what she saw.

'_It's not real. None of it. Any of it.'_

Bloody mud stuck to her boots and made a soft, squelching sound as she stumbled towards him and a chocked sound clawed its way out of her throat as she desperately wished that she was just dreaming and would wake up to Naruto and Kakashi; waiting for her at the training grounds with a grin and a lazy wave. Like normal.

Like before Naruto had been dead for nearly three months; before consecutively defeating two immensely powerful opponents. He'd recovered from his battle with Nagato easily, but it was Madara who ended him. The battle was one that still amazed her to think of. It was one unlike anything she'd seen before or heard of… and it concluded with the blond injured horribly, and bleeding _so_ much, and, somehow, with chakra so depleted even the fox and Sakura combined could do nothing to save her friend.

She had been inconsolable for weeks afterward.

She barely did a thing other than training and missions until one day Kakashi had knocked on her apartment door, dragged her out, and told her in a flat voice that Konoha was already moving on and she needed to as well.

So Sakura did, and stopped mourning her best friend, and things were okay…

But only for a little while.

Because just when things truly were better _he_ came.

Lost, hurting, vengeful, once beloved; Sasuke came with Team Taka and he finally got his revenge when he razed the weakened village to the ground. Konoha fell. Almost everyone was dead this time with no Rinnegan wielder to fix it – even Sai who, by a stroke of luck, landed the killing blow on Sasuke that ended the very last Uchiha – and as Sasuke met his end by a ninjatō to the head, Sai lay dying with the avenger's Kusanagi through his heart.

Sakura found that she didn't at all care when Sasuke's breathing stopped and the onyx eyes she used to find so beautiful lost their light.

Kakashi was the last of her team to die, right in front of her at this moment, defending her from the last of Team Taka with a chidori that he shouldn't have had the chakra for. The blood that had spilled across the ground as he ended the life of a raging Karin had matched the color of her hair and his sharingan eye perfectly. He'd only gotten the chance to give a soft sigh before dying from chakra exhaustion.

It didn't connect. This… was impossible. Because if Kakashi was dead… and Karin and Saskuke, Tsunade, Sai, Ino, _everyone. _

_She was the last one left._

"No," she whispered. "Please, no."

Kakashi's silver hair was matter with dirt and blood, his eyes closed as if in slumber.

A slowly rising wail echoed across the ruins that was Konoha, the only sound in the finally still and silent battlegrounds.

She screamed at the sky, so angry and sad and her eyes burned as tears cuts down her cheeks and her wounds stung horribly, and this wasn't fair. _None of it was fair._

She cursed Kami, and all that she had brought upon her and her village, and ranted and screamed in the middle of wreckage and corpses until her voice gave out, and no more tears would come.

If only she had been stronger… maybe she could have changed something. She could have killed Sasuke or healed Naruto, or stopped that Oto ninja from slitting Ino's throat.

But she wasn't.

"_Again_," she whispered suddenly. Her voice was scratchy as she prayed to the Kami that she had just been denouncing. "Let me do this again. Let me fix this. I can fix this. I can be strong. I can stop this… Kami-sama _please!_"

At first nothing happened, and Sakura hung her head, unable to see through the tears pouring down her face as she waited pathetically for her end. But then…

… she heard it.

_Once more…._ A voice whispered.

And all was black.

**x.X.x**

**RFB: **So? How was it...? Did it suck? Was it amazing? So-so? Amateurish? Wondering why I am on this site? Did you find any good cookie recipes? Did you want to beat me to death because you just wasted - what? Five minutes of your life reading this...? Well, review and tell me!

There is nothing more important to an author than getting feedback whether it be negative or positive (electromagnetic?) or whatever else it could be. So if you wanna rave about it? Then rave. Tell me to move my butt and update? Do that. Wanna flame? Have fun! Want to tell me what is wrong with my story so that it can get fixed? That, I would love. Whatever you have to say: say it!

Review!


	2. Chapter 2

**Last edited: **7/7/2012

**Title:** One Last Chance

**Summary: **For the first time in her life, Sakura would not be the weak link. A time-travel fict.

**Author: **River Flows Backwards

**Beta: **None, but searching

**Important Notes: **Special thanks to Unintentional Liar for all your help. Hopefully, I can write something that you will enjoy. ^^

This is my first fanfiction: questions, comments, suggestions, flames, cookie recipes, and grammar corrections are all welcome! Anonymous reviews have been enabled for those of you who do not have an account or want it. If you see any flaws (major or minor) please tell me! Enjoy~!

**X.x.X**

The soft light of morning lit the room as Sakura shot up with a start, her mouth open in a silent scream as her breath came in short puffs of air and a hand reached for a phantom object just out of reach.

She had been having a terrible nightmare.

It was one where Sasuke came back to Konoha and everyone was dead. Kakashi and Sai and Tsunade and her parents... all of them were dead.

Dead.

She put shaking hands up to her face, pressing them against her cheeks and eyes as she tried to calm herself. After a few minutes she had composed herself and she drew her hands away from her face.

Cherry blossom covered walls met her eyes, and something immediately struck her as off. It hadn't been since Sakura was almost eight that she had that wallpaper in her room and she had long since gotten rid of the white, child sized furniture that was pressed up against the walls as well. Jade eyes blinked when they lay eyes on the mess of toys scattered across the floor. And was that-

"Mana-chan?" she asked aloud, her voice one of wonder as she studied the slightly worn stuffed animal rabbit laying on the floor. She had gotten it when she was just a baby but when her family had moved when she was ten, it had gotten lost. "I haven't seen Mana-chan since-"

She suddenly broke off, a hand flying to her throat as she realized that the voice coming from her throat was not the mature, older sound that she had gone to sleep with. It was now high, and childish, and… not her.

Suddenly, many things were coming to her attention that hadn't before: like how the bed she was sleeping in was huge compared to the rest of her and pulling her pink frilly bed covers off, Sakura found herself dressed in silk pajamas that she hadn't worn since she was at least six. Her feet were tiny, her hands slightly chubby with baby fat and she didn't have any of the muscle mass that she had gained from years of hard work and training as a ninja. Gone were her calloused hands and her scars. In their place was smooth, unblemished skin that had never worked a day in its life.

Goosebumps raised the hairs on her arms and her mind began running through possible explanations and scenarios to explain what was going on as Sakura scrambled out of bed and ran to the mirror hanging low on her wall. She stumbled as she went, moving in a mess of clumsy limbs that she wasn't used to working.

"Oh my Kami..." she whispered in awe and terror, "I... I'm..."

Large jade eyes widened on the face of a six-year-old little girl with short bubblegum pink hair that ended just below her chin. She saw her reflection shoot through various emotions all in one moment, eventually settling on realization as the end of Sakura's dream came back to her.

"...a kid again..."

_'Time travel.'_

The words appeared in her mind unbidden and Sakura knew then that her dream was in fact reality and that her half-crazed prayers had been answered.

She swallowed, and whispered a quick prayer of thanks to Kami which was quickly followed by a rush of warmth that she somehow knew to be acknowledgement of her words.

After that moment of enlightenment, Sakura simply sat there, in front of the mirror, as she tried to figure out what to do - where to start. Should she show her abilities as a kunoichi immediately? She could let certain skills be played off as natural talent and then just seem to pick things up instantly. If she were to do that though, wouldn't she be labeled as a prodigy? Yes. So then should she play out the role of a little girl with no self-confidence and take the part that she originally did until she became genin? If she were a lower rank, she would be placed with Naruto more likely than not. But if she were a higher rank, then maybe Sakura would have more influence and gain more information about some of Konoha's more... dangerous secrets. That could end up helping a lot. But at the same time she would be further from both Naruto and Sasuke. Sakura needed to keep a close on both of them (though for very different reasons).

Sakura was at a loss of what to do.

The only thing which she _did_ know was that she would need to figure it out soon. Things needed to change and she needed to start now. Changing too much would probably make things more difficult to predict in the long run, but she was here for a reason her goal in the end was to make sure that things did not end the same. The first thing that she would work on would be...

"Naruto!" she exclaimed with a grin, but it faltered slightly as she remembered his coffin being lowered into the earth; soon to be covered by dirt and never seen again. He had died with a smile on his face.

But now he was alive, she reminded herself. He was a little kid and more likely than not a hyperactive moron... but he was her moron. Sakura would take what she could get.

The first thing on her list was to find him and befriend him. After that... well, she would just have to figure it out as she went.

Just then there was a knock on her door and Sakura had to school her expression as her mother walked into her room with a smile on her face. Her hair - a darker, redder shade of pink than her daughters - was pulled back into a short ponytail at the base of her neck and an apron was tied around her waist.

_'Mama...'_ she thought as her heart clenched painfully.

Both her parents had been crushed when a set of explosive tags went off nearby and the violent vibrations caused their house to collapse in on them. They were the first of many.

"Good morning Sakura," she greeted cheerfully. "I didn't know that you were up already. What are you doing on the floor? C'mon. I made pancakes - Daddy is already at the table."

Sakura swallowed and gave a small nod, pushing all of the bad memories from her mind.

Giving a wide grin that only children could seem to manage, Sakura hopped off of the floor and trotted over to her mother before blinking and doubling back to grab her rabbit. Once she was standing in front of her mother and with Mana-chan in one hand, she held up her arms and gave her the sweetest look possible.

"Pick me up?" she asked.

"Sure, Honey."

And as the adult turned child was carried down the stairs and to her familiar dining room, Sakura felt completely happy.

As she reached the bottom of the steps, a dark blonde haired man with a newspaper spread out in front of him met her sight and she watched him cut through a stack of syrup drenched pancakes. He saw Sakura just then and smiled, green eyes shining.

"Morning Sakura," her father greeted.

"Morning Daddy!"

So maybe she was back in the past with no plan and no idea of what to do… but her parents were alive, Konoha was whole, and she was going to have chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast.

_'I think I can do this.'_

**XxXxX**

Two weeks later Sakura was on the outskirts of one of Konoha's many parks, being carried in her mother's arms.

"Go have fun. I'll be back around four, okay? Kuroruni-san will check in every half hour to make sure you're alright. She lives right across the street, in case you forgot."

Sakura's mother set her down and sandaled feet touched the soft grass as she looked around herself. It was 12 o'clock and Sakura had just finished eating lunch when her mother told her that she needed to go to a meeting in town. Her father was at work and since she was now just six, Sakura couldn't just be left at the house alone. So she had been taken to the park, Sakura realized with slight dismay. How was she supposed to change things at this rate? Ever since she woke up, someone had always been near - watching her and coddling her. Treating her like a _child_. Which she was now, Sakura had to remind herself. But it didn't mean that she liked it...

For weeks now, Sakura had been trying to find time to herself so that she could leave and find Naruto. She'd tried when her parents were asleep at night, during her nap time, when her parents went to work and even when they went to the bathroom once. But always, one parent was in the room. Or she had a babysitter or she realized that being three feet tall meant that she couldn't exactly reach past the handle to the lock to open the front door to escape. Nor could she jump out windows. The only time that she had to herself was late at night and then she would do some strength exercises in order to begin building muscle mass and some chakra ones since she couldn't leave.

Now it was Saturday and her father was gone at work and her mother had to go to a suddenly announced meeting at her workplace. The usual babysitter was sick. And yet she still wasn't alone.

_'I don't want to play at the park with a bunch of spoiled civilian children!'_ she thought and wanted desperately to speak her mind.

But all that came out her mouth was, "Yes Mama."

Haruno Yume smiled at her daughter, ruffled her hair, and turned to leave.

Sakura sighed deeply as she watched her mother's figure grow smaller and smaller until it disappeared. Now alone, Sakura knew that she had no choice but to stay. Someone would be coming by very often, so she couldn't just leave nor could she create a clone and walk out for two basic reason. Firstly, Sakura didn't know how to make any solid clones and second she now had an extremely small chakra capacity so she wouldn't be able to do it in the first place.

"Damn it," she muttered and tucked a stray hair behind her ear.

Without much enthusiasm, Sakura walked over to the swings and past the screaming children from ages three to twelve that were running around, screaming and climbing all over the jungle gym and speeding down the slide. It was unusual, but all three of the swings were empty at the moment. After tugging down the edge of the flowery red dress her mother had insisted on her wearing, Sakura smiled slightly and climbed onto the wooden seat and began to kick her legs forward and backward to get moving and gain momentum.

Soon, she was moving in long, high arches; back and forth, back and forth, over and over and over again. Sakura tilted her head back, watching the sky as she moved and kicked her tiny legs all the while.

It was a cool day and there were barely any clouds in the sky. The squeals and shrieks of playing children drifted through the air and Sakura ignored them, opting to watch the sky and enjoy the air rushing across her skin instead as she thought.

_'Where am I going to find Naruto?'_ she asked herself. _'I think that he was still at the orphanage at this age, but I'm not sure. If he is, I don't know which one to go to because he never told me. If not, then that would mean that he was living in that apartment. But how to get to either of those places without mom knowing...? I-'_

"Wow!" a voice filled with awe broke through Sakura's thoughts and jade eyes blinked in surprise. As she swung back, the girl took in the little boy standing at the foot of the swing-set, cobalt blue eyes wide and childishly impressed, tanned face smiling and framed by wildly spiky hair that flopped into his eyes. Three black scars marred each cheek. She swung forward. He had on a simple black shirt with an orange swirl on the front and neon orange shorts. His clothes looked to be a size too large for him and dirt was smudged on them and, she now noticed, his hands and knees.

Naruto.

_'Things just got a lot easier.'_

"How'r ya gettin up so high like that! I dun even know how ta swing yet cuz no one'll teach me!" he babbled excitedly. "But! I've never seen anyone get _that_ high before 'cept the really big kids. But your little, like me, an- Whoa! Was that a flip? Oh my gosh! How did you _do_ that!"

After her second swing forward - since seeing Naruto - Sakura had released her hands and jumped off the playground swing, tucking and flipping in midair as she did so; landing with a grace that was unnatural for a six year old. Not that the blond ball of energy before he noticed - he just saw a cool trick.

Sakura brushed the skirt of her dress off and grinned over the fact that something so small could excite him so much. For all of his complications, he could be so simple sometimes.

"I wanna learn how to do that! That'd be so cool and then I could show the Old Man n' he's be so impressed n' then maybe he'll take me to go get some ramen 'n I'll getta see Ayame and Old Man Ichakaru. That'd be _awesome_. So will ya teach me? Puh-leaseeeee? I promise I'll do somthin' for ya in return n' everything! Like, you could come with me for ramen once I show the Old Man my new trick n' stuff!"

Her eyes were wide as she listened to him talk. Sakura had thought that Naruto talked a lot when he was younger and she hadn't thought that anyone else could say so much so quickly other than Ino, maybe. But listening to this child version of him talk...

"- So then I was all like 'I wan't miso ramen! A real big bowl!' and then he was all 'Okay'. 'N so I got it and so if he'll do that for me when I learned how to write my name, then he'll definitely buy me _and _you ramen cuz you will've taught me 'n stuff! So -"

Sakura decided that she must have had it very easy.

"- And when Ayame said that the Old Man and Old man Ichakaru laughed a lot so I laughed too just cuz everyone else was laughin 'n-"

"Do you talk this much to every person you meet?" Sakura interrupted with a wry grin.

Naruto just blinked at her before shrugging and rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Nah," he told her. "I just got all excited cuz of your cool trick 'n all and I thought that maybe you could teach me so tha-"

Sakura held up a hand.

Naruto shut up.

"I heard you the first time, silly."

"Right! So, uh... what's your answer?"

Sakura cupped her chin and assumed a thinking pose even though she already knew how to reply.

"Hmm... well," she said slowly.

"Please please please!"

"Sure!"

"Yes! Heck yeah! Oh my gosh just wait n'till I show this to the Old Man! Ramen, here I come!"

All of the sudden he froze; on one foot, both hands raised in the air, fisted. A look of realization lit up his face and he nodded to himself, resumed a normal standing position, and clapped a fist into his open palm.

"Oh yeah! I just remembered somethin!"

Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"I don't know your name yet."

Sakura blinked and realized that she was right, having forgotten that he didn't know her yet. That this was the first time that they met in this time.

"It's Sakura. Haruno Sakura," she told him with a smile and held out a hand.

As he reached out his hand towards hers, there was a split second where he hesitated and withdrew his hand slightly before he grabbed it and Naruto shook her hand enthusiastically.

"Uzumaki Naruto. Future Hokage!"

They both grinned at one another before Sakura dragged Naruto over to the swing beside her and began to instruct him.

"You said that you didn't know how to swing yet, right? Well, we'll start with that," she began, and decided that she liked how he hung on her every world like it was gold and was also slightly sad that he had never had someone to teach him to swing until now. "So, first thing first: you need to swing your legs forward and backward - no! No. Not like that. Move them both together - not that scissor mess..."

**RFB:** So, the first real chapter is done! *random applause* SO now all that's left is to review! Tell me what you think and if you have any questions, comments, ect or if there are any errors.

Review


	3. Chapter 3

**Last edited:**7/7/2012

**Title:** One Last Chance

**Summary: **For the first time in her life, Sakura would not be the weak link. A time-travel fict.

**Author: **River Flows Backwards

**Beta: **I don't have one yet, but I need one.

**Important Notes: **Ummm... wow. Forgive me?

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed my story by the way as well as favorited it and put it on story alerts. I am very grateful to all of you. Read on!

**X.x.X**

"Whoohoo!"

It was nearly eleven in the morning according to the sun, and Naruto was shouting at the top of his lungs and running around the currently empty playground. The swing he had been sitting on moments before still swung loosely on the set and Sakura watched him from her perch at the end of a slide. His wild laughter mixed with the occasional triumphant yell and whoop echoed through the air and Sakura wasn't sure if she should be annoyed or endeared by his exuberance.

She was a little bit of both.

"Did ya _see_ that?" asked the blond, skidding to a halt before his friend. "No really! I was, like, _super_ high 'n then when I flipped it was all _whoosh!_ n' _flip!_ 'n then I landed it! I landed it like _BAM!_ I'm so awesome. Did ya see that?"

His huge blue eyes were wide with excitement as he talked, pupils dilated, face flushed. A splitting grin was stretched firmly across his whiskered cheeks and his blond hair flopped cutely into his eyes.

_'Aww...'_ Sakura internally cooed. _'He was so cute at this age!'_

Just now Naruto had performed the flip that Sakura had been teaching him (Or the "Super-Awesome-Ramen-Getting-Trick-of-Awesomeness-and-Doom" as he had happily named it at the end of the first day. Sakura just called it a flip.) for the first time.

It had taken a total of three days - "'Cause I'm just _that_ awesome!" - for him to get the flip down. It was nothing impressive: just a single back tuck and a two footed land on the ground, but for a six-year-old, much less a _Naruto_... Well. The results were rather obvious, weren't they?

"Yes Naruto," Sakura said wryly. "I saw."

"Great! 'Cause now I can get the Old Man n' he can watch me do the flip and then we can get _ramen_!"

Sakura giggled and smiled sunnily at him.

"I know."

"I can't wait for him to meet you! 'Cause he's always tellin' me to make friends n' all and now I've made my first one!"

Naruto continued smiling hugely and laughed, he was so happy. Meanwhile, Sakura's own smile had dimmed slightly and become more forced as she processed his words.

_'First friend?'_

"Y-yeah..." she said slowly. Sakura bit her lip.

"Well alright then!" he said happily and leaned forward to grab her hand, smile still in place. "Let's go get 'im!"

With a firm tug, Sakura was yanked to standing and followed Naruto as he began running out of the park and in the direction of wherever it is that that the "Old Man" currently was. She tried her hardest not to think about Naruto's previous words.

"So," she said slowly as Naruto spun around a corner, "Just where are we going?"

"The Hokage Tower!" he shouted.

Sakura hopped over a shallow ditch in the sidewalk and blinked.

"Why?"

"'Cause that's where the Old Man is of course!"

They turned another corner.

"Huh?"

Naruto glanced back at her then, a sheepish grin on his face.

"Didn' I tell ya?" he asked. "The Old Man's the Hokage."

**XxXxX**

Sakura felt stupid.

She was sitting in a large, wooden chair in front of the Hokage's desk. Her legs dangled of the edge of the seat and were crossed neatly at the ankles, hands in her lap as she looked anywhere but at the face of the Sandaime who she just _knew_ was smiling at her in the grandfatherly way that she always remembered him doing in the (future?) past. Beside her, the exact opposite of his pink haired friend, Naruto bounced up and down in his seat, chattering away as he told the Hokage about the "super awesome trick" that he learned in "only three days 'cause I'm just _that_ awesome n' all" and about how he was going to show him and then the Hokage would just _have_ to get ramen for him because the trick was just that totally amazing, and- Did he mention that he learned it in just three days? Because he did. And he didn't even know how to swing before then! So basically he learned _two_ things, but "'cause I'm nice you can just buy me enough ramen for one of 'em." But, "Oh, ya also gotta buy some for Sakura-chan too. 'Cause she's the one who taught me."

"I just met her," Naruto continued happily. "Like... this many days ago!" he held up two fingers. "But we're already real good friends!"

The Sandaime's smile widened slightly, his eyes crinkling with the motion as he nodded in agreement to Naruto's demands.

"But only if you can actually do the flip," he told Naruto and leaned forward to ruffle his golden hair. Naruto simply beamed under the attention he was getting and Sakura shifted in her chair.

Sakura watched him in her peripheral vision, frowning as she tried not to remember the fact that the last time she'd seen him he was dead and inside a coffin, a sea of black mourners surrounding his dead body. She suppressed a shiver.

Kami. How could she have forgotten that the "Old Man" was the _Hokage_? Naruto had always referred to him that way, so she should have already known!

_'What kind of ninja am I? Forgetting such a huge detail...'_ she thought with a scowl then paused. _'This time around... maybe I can make it so the Sandaime will survive? Ah, but that won't be happening for many years now. And if the Sandaime doesn't die... what about Tsunade? How could I get her to come to Konoha again? More to think about...'_

This would also complicate other things because after day one of meeting little Naruto, she had decided to stay under the radar and take the role of a normal, if above average in the academic apartment, student that she had been in the last time line, in this one. That way she would rise in the ninja corps at the same rate as Naruto and possibly get placed on the same team again. If the Sandaime made it a habit of keeping a close eye on the two of them, all of the plans that she had devised over the past two weeks would become more difficult to execute because a lot of it had to be done in secret. And something told her that being Naruto's (only) friend would mean that he would be watching over her.

She would just have to work around it.

She sighed softly and pulled away from her thoughts and back to the current situation. The Hokage was sitting down now, behind his desk, leaning forward on both elbows and playing with his unlit pipe between his fingers.

"And now," he continued, turning to the nervous looking little girl that was fidgeting in the chair beside his ward, "Who might you be?"

"Well that's-" Naruto began loudly but was cut off by a look.

"I would like to hear it from her mouth, Naruto," the old man chided gently. "Be silent for now."

"But-!"

"Just for a little while, Naruto," he assured the little boy and Naruto puffed his cheeks and pouted in his seat. Sakura saw this and giggled to herself and the Sandaime chuckled slightly himself before turning his attention back to Sakura.

"Your name?" he prompted.

Sakura bit her lip and glanced up to meet his brown eyes.

_'You're a child, you're a child, you're a child,'_ she chanted to herself as she fixed a pretty smile on her face.

"My name is Sakura," she said politely in her high, childish voice. She still hadn't gotten quite used to it yet. "Haruno Sakura."

"Haruno? You come from a civilian family?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama. But..." she looked to the ground and then back up again with an even larger smile than before. "When I am older I will be a ninja."

"Oh?"

"Mmhm! Me and Naruto both!" she turned to Naruto then. "Ne, Naruto?"

The blond looked at her and blinked in surprise for a moment before grinning and nodding rapidly.

"Yeah!" he cheered, pumping a fist in the air in excitement. "Imma be Hokage, n' Sakura-chan'll be my- my..."

The blond trailed off, unsure, and gave Sakura a questioning look.

"I'll be Naruto's head medic," Sakura supplied assuredly.

"A medic?" the Hokage asked with raised eyebrows.

"Yes! Oh. And his supervisor, because we all know that he'll need one."

She gave the current Hokage a serious look at this that made him chuckle and nod in understanding.

"What's a supervisor?" asked Naruto.

Sakura grinned at him.

"It's someone that keeps you from doing stupid stuff."

"Oh..."

Watching the two with an old smile the Hokage stood up and set the pipe that he had been fiddling with down. Naruto and Sakura both looked up at him then and stared in question.

"Well now you two," the old ninja said softly. "How about we go to the park so that you can show me this special trick, Naruto? And then we'll see about that ramen."

"Great!" Naruto scrambled off his seat and then practically threw himself out the door in his haste. "Sakura-chan, Sakura-chan, _run_! The faster we get there the faster we get ramen!"

Climbing off of her chair only now, Sakura rolled her eyes at him before running after him.

"I know, I know!"

**XxXxX**

Naruto truly was a bottomless pit.

Those were Sakura's thoughts as she watched him down his third bowl of ramen at a disturbing speed and she voiced her opinion.

"How can you manage to eat so much?" she asked in a mixture of amusement and disgust. She herself was still on her first bowl of the salty noodles and doubted that she would be able to finish even that, as she was such a small child.

Naruto stopped to look at her, noodles still hanging out of his mouth before he slurped them up and swallowed hastily.

"Cause I got a fast meta- matabosl- uh."

"Metabolism?"

"Yeah, that! I dunno what a meta-whatever is, but that's what the Old man tells me so it's _gotta_ be true. Right?"

He turned to his left where said Old Man sat with a half-eaten bowl of his own in front of him and poked him roughly.

"Poking people is rude, Naruto," he informed the six year old lightly, but nodded anyway. "And that is what I said."

"Told ya so!"

Behind the counter the owner of Ichiraku's laughed.

"Well, he's good for business so it had better stay that way," the ramen chef joked with a wink. Naruto grinned back at him before resuming his monstrous eating. "Now Naruto, mind telling me why you're here today? I heard it was a celebration of sorts from your little friend here."

He gestured to Sakura who nodded and smiled and decided to answer for Naruto who was still shoveling in the food. She was still trying to work out how he didn't choke.

"He learned something new and showed it to Hokage-sama, and so we came here to celebrate."

Teuchi leaned forward in interest.

"Oh?"

"Yeah!" Naruto sputtered through the food in his mouth. Sakura grimaced at the lack of manners but then grinned despite herself because it was such a _Naruto_ thing to do, and she missed that. She'd have to work on his manners later though. "It's a flip that I did offa the swing and it's like when I get super super high on the swing I let go n' then I go _whoosh_ and I flip n' all n' it's super cool! Oh! And Sakura taught me! N' she's better at it too. Because when Sakura does the flip, she _flies_ n' she doesn't land like me. 'Cause I land all like _BOOM!_ Sakura lands _real_ soft n' she barely makes a sound at all. She's real- real... _graceful_ about it."

Sakura grimaced when the Hokage sent her a curious look.

"Is that so?" he asked slowly and Sakura opened her mouth to deny when Naruto beat her.

"Really! And that's not all she can do! She's showed me a couple other tricks too 'cause the swings weren't always open to practice on. Like, did you know that she can nail the same spot on the lamp post by the jungle gym with a rock every time that she tries! 'Cause she can n' it's sooo cool."

"I didn't." The Sandaime turned an inquisitive gaze towards Sakura, who was trying her hardest not to cringe. So much for staying under the radar... "You must have very good aim, Sakura-chan."

The adult turned child shrugged helplessly.

"I don't know about that..."

"Based on what Naruto says, you do. I'm sure that you will make a very good ninja one day. Tell me, have your parents enrolled you to the academy yet?"

Sakura smile was forced.

"No, sir."

"I see... you'd best do that soon then. Classes start in one month after all," he told her with a smile.

"Okay..."

"I will look forward to seeing how you grow as a ninja in the future, Sakura-chan."

"T-thank you."

They finished eating quickly enough and then talked together a while after, Teuchi throwing in his own comments every now and then, and it was nice and it was pleasant, but Sakura couldn't help but suppress a flinch each and every time that the old Hokage sent another inquisitive glance in her direction. His interest had been caught by Naruto's words and thus opened up a whole world of problems for Sakura. If he wasn't planning on watching her before, he sure was now.

XxXxX

Walking back home that afternoon, Sakura sighed and tuned out the happily chattering Naruto that was walking with her. The Hokage watched them go, standing right outside of Ichiraku's, waving after them and smiling.

"Cat," he said softly and a figure appeared beside him at the word. The two children disappeared around a corner.

"Yes, Hokage-sama?" asked the ANBU.

"That little girl, the one with the pink hair... I want you to keep an eye out for anything interesting that happens to and around her. You don't have to keep watch specifically; just be aware. Spread the news to the rest of the ANBU."

"Hokage-sama? May I ask why?"

"You may. I think that we have found ourselves a little civilian prodigy."

**XxXxX**

Unaware of the conversation going on just behind them, Sakura and Naruto kept a steady pace as they walked back to the park where she assumed they would spend the rest of their day and then part ways and go home. Just as he always had done in the future/past and the past three days that she'd known him this timeline, Naruto filled the air with talk as Sakura listened with a small, distracted smile, her mind on something other than what the blond was saying.

It was a little after one o'clock in the afternoon now and the sun shone brightly overhead, casting shallow shadows across the ground where they walked.

She wondered where Kakashi was at this very moment in time. Or Tsunade for that matter. The two had been her teachers for so many years before they had been killed- no. _Murdered_, and she couldn't help but be curious about them. She needed to track those two down sometime soon. Or at least Kakashi. Was he in ANBU right now? Sakura thought so, but wasn't too sure. Kakashi-sensei didn't talk much about those days. Sakura didn't imagine that it was a happy time. But then again... what was happy about his life at all? Not much, Sakura was sure. He'd had it rough from day one, and when he'd died...

Sakura was brought back to reality by a rather painful poke and she blinked owlishly, realizing that she had stopped walking. Naruto was standing right in front of her, wide blue eyes concerned.

"Ne, you okay?" he asked and pressed a slightly sweaty hand to her pale forehead. "You're not sick, are you? 'Cause you don't feel warm. But if you are, then you need ta get home _reaaal_ quick n' eat soup n' stuff 'cause that's what the Old Man tells me he eats when he's sick. I dunno how it makes you feel better 'cause I've never been sick before, but he _says_ it makes him feel better, so... yeah."

Not for the first time that day, Sakura found herself internally cooing at how cute Naruto could be as a six-year-old and she smiled at him and playfully batted his hand away.

"I'm fine," she assured him, "Just thinking."

Naruto hummed in understanding but was still looking at her oddly. She still looked kind of out of it; her smile a little too plastic for his tastes.

"I'm fine! Really."

"M'kay..."

The blond still looked a little unsure, but quickly brushed it off as they resumed walking.

The rest of the day went off without a hitch and Naruto and Sakura played and played until Sakura was forced to go home by an irritated baby sitter that Sakura had escaped from earlier that day. Naruto grinned at her and waved as a giggling Sakura was dragged away by an older civilian girl.

"See ya later!" he called after her.

From her position over her babysitters shoulder (where she'd been thrown immediately to prevent her escaping again) Sakura waved back.

"See ya!" Sakura agreed.

**XxXxX**

Three weeks later, Naruto and Sakura were at the park again, the place that had become their official meeting spot. Since that first day she'd met him this timeline, they'd gone to see each other almost every day and play and talk until it was either dark or Sakura's babysitter found her. Naruto had no such limitations however, seeing as he was an orphan. Mixed in with their play time now - courtesy of Sakura - were training exercises. She incorporated them into the games that they would play and before she knew it both she and Naruto had built up more endurance, strength and speed than they'd had before; a good start for children their ages. Not that Naruto noticed this, of course. They were just fun games to him. But Sakura was fine with that.

_'Let him be a kid,'_ she thought softly.

Currently, they were walking through the streets of Konoha, heading towards the very busy market that day. The colorful tops of the venders and merchants stands and tents dotted the streets. Naruto was fingering a small, brown canvas bag that held his money in it (Sakura assumed he hadn't bought his frog wallet yet) and was leading her directly towards an apple stand where a pile of bright red fruits were stacked atop one another. Lunch had been but a few hours before, but the two felt hungry and so Naruto had decided they should go get something with some money he had saved up.

"Ooh," he purred. "Those look really good! Don't you think, Sakura-chan? Maybe if I have enough, you can bring some home for your parents, and I can bring some to the Old Man!"

Sakura nodded and smiled slightly.

Along with speed, strength, and agility, she had also been working on Naruto's grammar and speech. He was doing much better than when she first met him this timeline and felt proud about how quickly he had picked it all up. Though... giving him a chakra enhanced flick on the forehead each time he said something wrong might have helped him learn it as fast as he did...

"Definitely."

"Cool! Let's go."

The two trotted up to the apple stand where an old lady stood, dogging feet and trying not to run into anyone or get stepped on. The two stood on their toes to get a better glimpse at the fragrant fruits when they got there and looked over to grin at each other.

"Now that," said Sakura, "is a good apple."

"Yeah! Hey, get the old ladies attention and I'll get out some money for the apples, kay? See how much it is for... ten. That way we can have some for us and you can bring some home to your family and me to the Old Man!"

"Okay."

While Naruto started shaking out and counting his money, Sakura walked up to the stands owner and tugged on the long skirt she was wearing. Dark brown eyes glanced down at her and a grey eyebrow rose in question.

"Excuse me," Sakura said sweetly, "How much would it cost to buy ten apples?"

The withered looking old woman gave Sakura a wrinkled smile.

"That would be 752 yen, dearie," she replied and Sakura nodded in understanding.

"Naruto!" she called to the side. "It's 752 yen for ten of them! Do you have that much?"

"Yeah!" he called back and trotted up to her, holding the exact amount between him fingers.

"Great!"

They grinned at each other before turning to look back to the old lady.

"Ten apples, please!" Sakura requested.

"Of course, dearie. Just one- Wait."

Critical brown eyes zeroed in on the other child standing next to the pink haired one and narrowed as they took in the infamous blue eyes and blond hair and - most importantly - the three whisker-like scars on each cheek.

The woman hissed.

"Leave."

Both children blinked in confusion at the sudden hostility.

"Excuse me?"

"I said," repeated the old woman, walking towards Naruto and giving him a rough push to the side, "Leave! I don't serve to _your kind_, demon."

Jade green eyes went wide in confusion before immediately narrowing in anger and understanding.

_'That stupid lady! How dare she treat him that way!'_ she snarled internally. _'Just because of the Kyuubi, she would-!'_

"What the heck are you doing?" she screamed at the old woman, and other shoppers and venders started to stare at the three. "He didn't do anything wrong! We just wanted some apples!"

"Little girl," the old lady- No. _Hag_, said to her in a soft but firm voice, "I don't think you understand what you are associating yourself with. That boy is nothing but-"

"That _boy_," Sakura interrupted harshly, "Is _my_ best friend! And you have no right to treat him that way."

"Dearie, that boy is nothing but a filthy, uncivilized thief that brings nothing but bad luck and death! A sweet little girl like you shouldn't associate with such filth."

"How _dare_ you-!"

"Sakura-chan, stop!"

Tiny, tan hands wrapped around her own then and tugged her backwards slightly. Wide blue eyes met her own, filled with a silent plea to calm down and just let it be. Heh. Fat chance at that happening...

"That's enough..." he said softly, "Let's... just go."

"Naruto, are you deaf? Can't you hear what's she's saying? She called you filth! She called you a _demon._"

What on earth was he thinking, trying to brush off her words as though it was nothing? What happened to the fiery blond she so well remembered? The Naruto she knew would never have accepted such treatment!

_'But he's _not_ the Naruto you knew, remember? This one's different,'_ her mind whispered to her.

A low murmur rippled through the growing crowd.

Naruto looked at the ground.

"You can't honestly say you're not going to stop her, are you? This stupid old woman has no right to say those things! No right at all!"

Again, silence.

"You don't deserve this."

Her whisper was soft and filled with a raw emotion that Naruto couldn't name. It made him hurt inside though.

Somewhere in the crowd, a pair of obsidian eyes flashed with interest.

Naruto smiled then and it was soft, and sad.

"It doesn't really matter, Sakura-chan. I'm used to it! Hehe. I umm... I shouldn't have come here in the first place. It's my fault. Not hers."

The old hag snorted then.

"Sure is," she muttered spitefully.

Sakura glared at her.

"Sakura-chan, I'll explain later, okay? But, for now at least, let it go. Please."

She looked from his clenched fists to his pleading, devastatingly blue eyes and crumbled.

"Okay," she agreed reluctantly. "We'll go."

She gave him a strained smile and squeezed his hand. The crowd began to part awkwardly, dozens of eyes following the two children as they went; some curious, a few piteous, and others hostile like the old hag.

"And stay away!" yelled the old hag behind them. "Never come back here, demon! And if you're going to side with him, little girl, you don't need to return either!"

Backs turned to her as they were, Sakura never saw her raise a wrinkled old hand, a large apple in it, and throw it straight at Naruto's blond head with a remarkable aim for a civilian, much less an old woman.

Sakura noticed it almost immediately, but knew that she still didn't have a fast enough reaction time to catch it before it hit her friend.

"Naruto! Watch out!"

A red blur came hurtling towards the kyuubi containers head and his eyes went wide as they turned to see the fruit flying towards him. It would hit him any moment and Naruto shut his eyes tightly as he braced himself mentally for the impact. But the apple never hit its mark because in the very next second there was a dark blur and a figure stood in between the six-year-olds and the woman who ran the fruit stand.

Naruto pried his eyes open.

The large red apple was gripped tightly in a pale hand just inches away from a terrified Naruto's face and Sakura's breath caught, looking at the red and white fan on the back of their mysterious saviors black shirt.

"Uchiha," she breathed.

"That is enough," said the boy before them.

He was no older than eleven or twelve based off of his height and voice, but she couldn't be sure. Slightly long, black hair that was trademark to the infamous clan was tied back into a ponytail at the base of the boys' neck. He was a ninja. Sakura could tell just by _looking_ at him. The emotionless voice he used made her shiver.

"U-Uchiha-sama!" stuttered the old hag in shock and she scrambled into a bow. "How may I help you? Might you like to buy some-"

"Silence," hissed the stranger.

The crowd held its breath.

"Tell me what reason you have for treating these children like this?"

"W-well you see, that boy is-"

"Is _what_?"

"He- I mean, I- well..."

"Well...?"

"I... Forgive me," the hag bit out.

"Hn. Don't tell that to me. Tell them."

The boy gestured back towards the two who were watching with wide eyes; Naruto's in amazement, Sakura's in growing dread and suspicion. She still couldn't see his face, the voice… it was so _familiar_ somehow.

The hag looked as though she had eaten something sour and looked away.

"Tell. Them."

"I apologize," she hissed.

"Hn. Good."

He then addressed the crowd with cold indifference.

"Go back to your business," he said softly, but in the stunned silence everyone heard. They obeyed.

"Uh," Sakura said nervously. "Thank you for your help, Uchiha-san. It was very much appreciated."

"Yeah!" Agreed an excited Naruto, all traces of the dejected boy from just moments before gone. "You were amazing!"

"Hn," muttered the boy, and turned to look at them finally.

Aristocratic features met the children's eyes and Sakura immediately recoiled in shock and fear.

_'Itachi!'_

If the future clan murderer noticed her negative reaction, he didn't show it and just gave a slight nod to the two's thanks.

He looked so much younger and less... evil than he had when she had first met him, but that was to be expected. While he still looked like he could kill someone with ease, he seemed... more relaxed than the Itachi of the future. The lines under his eyes were less defined, but his eyes were still the cold chips of obsidian she remembered. His face and voice were still without inflection.

Sakura's nails dug into her palms as she tried to calm herself.

"I believe you wanted one of these," he continued and handed the large red apple to an eager Naruto. "It is only one of the ten that you requested, but I believe you could do better anyway."

Naruto grinned hugely.

"Thanks!"

"It is nothing. I have a younger brother your age. Not helping would not be right," Itachi informed Naruto stiffly.

"Still... thanks a lot! If it weren't for you, that apple would've hit me!"

"... Hn."

"Ne, ne, You're a ninja, right? 'Cause otherwise you wouldn't have been able to move so quickly!"

"I am."

"Wow..."

A sharp tug on his sleeve broke him out of his hero-worship and he glanced back to see Sakura scowling deeply at him.

"You've thanked him," she clipped, "Now let's go. We don't need to stay here any longer."

Her harsh tone made Naruto raise his eyebrows in question and he carefully pried her hand off of his shirt and leaned forward lightly to get a better look at her.

"Sakura-chan... what's the matter?"

Jade eyes flickered from his face to the ninja beside them and then back to his in a split second. No other words were spoken, but Naruto somehow understood that his friend didn't like the man before them.

"Okay then," the conceded, uncharacteristically compliant. "We'll go back to the park then."

He turned to give Itachi one last, hundred-watt smile.

"Thanks ninja-san!"

"Hn."

And the two left.

Obsidian eyes followed their forms until they disappeared into the crowds.

**RFB:** So yeah. Chapter done. VERY long chapter done, actually. Haha. It's kind of slow, but it sets things up and the pace should (will?) pick up soon.

Now, click the magic button below and review!

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	4. Chapter 4

**Title:** One Last Chance

**Summary: **For the first time in her life, Sakura would not be the weak link. A time-travel fict.

**Author: **River Flows Backwards

**Beta: **Don't have one. Anyone willing...?

**Important Notes: **Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Sorry that this wasn't up sooner. Let's just say that I had many many reasons for taking so long. D:

7,000+ word chapter this time. Dear god... -_-''

**X.x.X**

He had been watching her for seven days now. Tomorrow would mark her first day as a student of the ninja academy.

Eyes slightly narrowed, he studied the way that she walked, noting the lightness of her step and how, despite the fact that she was walking over gravel in a playground, she was completely silent.

Six year old civilian children shouldn't be able to do that.

He wasn't sure where the interest had come from - he'd only seen her once before after all. A week ago to be precise and the meeting didn't even last five minutes, but something about the way that her jade eyes surveyed her surroundings in a subtle but sufficient way, the way that her eyes had flashed with hatred for him the moment she lay eyes on his form despite him not knowing him, despite the fact that he was _helping_ her and her little friend...

He found her interesting, to say the least.

And now he was shadowing her whenever he had the time and finding out that the girl really was a lot more interesting than he had initially assumed.

_'She is a civilian and yet she moves like a ninja,'_ he observed cooly. _'A high level one at that.'_

The girl - Sakura Haruno he reminded himself - stopped playing with the Kyuubi's container suddenly and looked straight towards where he was perched in a tree. He knew that she couldn't see him through the leaves though and so he remained in his place despite that fact that, _'somehow she knows I am here.'_

Which led to another conclusion: Sakura Haruno could sense chakra.

Obsidian eyes widened slightly when a small rock raced right past his face, slicing his cheek, and lodged itself into the tree trunk behind him.

"What the hell?" he muttered in disbelief.

He hadn't been expecting that at all.

_'And apparently she has very good aim as well. And is strong.'_ He eyed the place where the rock had been implanted into the trunk. He couldn't see the rock, it was so far in. It was unnatural. _'Very strong.'_

Bringing pale fingertips up to where he'd been cut on the cheek, he hummed in interest. He pulled away his hand, fingertips coming back slightly bloody.

"Hn."

Itachi was _very_ interested.

**XxXxX**

The following morning an unusually hyper Sakura was rolling out of bed with a huge grin on her face.

It was a Monday and precisely 7 o'clock when she ran over to her window and threw open the curtains covering it, smiling widely at the sun before setting about getting dressed for school that day.

Carefully unfolding the clothing from the shopping bags sitting beside her dresser, Sakura lay her outfit out piece by piece.

Her clothes were somewhat similar to her old ones in the sense that she still had on tightly fitting black shorts that ended just above her knees along with a pale pink skirt with slits on each side as well as the front and back for mobility. The skirt was, as before, more because Sakura found it cute than actual necessity. (Hey. She wasn't gonna be a wannabe (pink haired) barbie in this time line but she would dabble at least a _little bit_ into fashion as long as it wasn't over the top.) Along with her shorts and skirt and the only truly differentiating feature of her wardrobe was a simple red tank top with a large white circle on the back that she slipped on last. Her standard black ninja sandals were sitting by the front door at the bottom of the stairs and the pair of black ninja gloves she had bought were tucked away in her skirt pocket.

Sakura was about to walk down stairs when she suddenly remembered something important and ran back to her dresser where all of her new clothes sat in their bags along with a single, silky red ribbon. She smiled softly as she walked back to her mirror and tied the ribbon like a headband around her head, the ends of the ribbon sticking up where they were tied together.

Smoothing her hair and giving herself a winning smile in the mirror along with a wink, Sakura deemed herself ready for her second first day at the ninja academy.

Now, as she had already been to and graduated from that place, she wasn't at all excited because she was starting her training as a ninja - she was already a chunin, near jounin level anyway - but that she would get to _see_ everyone alive again. Her friends and comrades: breathing. _Smiling_. Children.

And with that, there also came a pang of fear at the prospect of it all. How would she react when she saw all of them? Countless times now, Sakura had run through the scenario in her head: walking into class on that first day, a small smile on her face. Naruto would be right beside her, possibly dragging her along in his excitement. She would follow him, laughing and then she would look around the room and see all of those who were dead when she last saw them. And she would smile some more, and walk up to a certain blond girl with pretty blue eyes and befriend her. One by one, she'd do the same to the rest of the rookie nine but one, and then she'd sit down with Naruto in the front of the room, because that would be the farthest away from _his_ seat. He always sat in the back, after all.

But that was just how it went in her head.

Her smile melted into a frown.

"Sakura!" a voice called then, and the time traveler whipped her head towards the door to her room which she sensed her mother coming towards. "Time to wake up!"

The door swung open to reveal a radiant Haruno Yume, her typical red apron tied around her waist as the smell of breakfast floated through the air now that the wooden barrier the was Sakura's door was removed. The woman walked over to her daughter then, smile widening ever so slightly and picked a giggling Sakura up.

"Well, don't you look cute?" Yume asked rhetorically, giving Sakura a once over and an approving nod. "And you're already up and ready, too! That's perfect, because breakfast is all ready and Daddy is sitting at the table."

Still in her mothers arms, Sakura was carried down the stairs and into the kitchen and set down on the cool tile floor, only to immediately be picked up again by her father again and swung around. Sakura giggled madly as her father bent forward slightly to give her a kiss on the cheek and an adoring smile.

"_There's _my little flower," he greeted happily.

Sakura wrapped her little arms around his neck and gave his cheek a quick kiss in return.

"Morning Daddy!"

She beamed at him and laughed as her father swung her around again, only to plop her down in her seat at the kitchen table.

"So, Mama, what's for breakfast?" Sakura asked brightly and her mother answered by setting down a plate of steaming food in front of her.

A plate stacked high with her absolute favorite breakfast food on the entire earth.

"_Pancakes!_" she shrieked with joy, and didn't care one bit how childish she must have looked at the moment. (Forget the fact that she's physically six.) Adult in the inside or not, these were _pancakes._ With _chocolate chips_ inside of them. Don't judge.

Sakura happily set about eating her breakfast as her chuckling mother served herself and her father their own stack of pancakes and began eating breakfast.

"So..." Haruno Daiki said slowly, cutting his food into bite-sized pieces. "Today's the big day, eh? You're finally starting the ninja academy?"

"Mmhm!" Sakura affirmed around her fork. "It's going to be really great."

"Good, good. And you're sure you want to do this?"

Sakura rolled her eyes at this question. Her parents had been so surprised and reluctant to let her join the day she told them that she was going to be a ninja. Her father was _still_ trying to convince her to not do it, but wouldn't force his will on her because "you have to start making your own choice sometime, I suppose."

"I'm sure," she answered dryly and took another bite of her food, humming with delight as the sweet chocolate chips melted in her mouth.

Sakura loved chocolate chip pancakes so, so much...

"School will begin at eight thirty by the way. But you already know that. Naruto and I want to get there really early and checkout the place though," _'And see if its just how I remember it being before it was all destroyed,'_ "so that we know where everything is and stuff."

Her fathers smile became slightly icy.

"He's going to meet you there?"

There was a certain amount of venom in her fathers voice that made Sakura scowl slightly.

"Not at all," she said lightly, a happy - _false_ - smile on her face. "Naruto will be here in a few minutes to walk to the academy with me, actually."

Sakura didn't miss the way that her mother froze and her father paused in his eating.

"That's... nice, sweetie," her father said slowly.

Sakura clenched her fists, a full out scowl twisting her features.

It was a well known fact that the majority of Konoha's population didn't like Naruto. The few who did either were ninja or old man Ichiraku from the ramen stand as well as Ayame. This of course meant that Sakura's civilian parents didn't like Naruto either. It became very apparent the first time that she had introduced him to her parents and they had simply glared at him before trying to tell Sakura that she was never to speak to him again. Obviously it didn't work, and they had to accept the fact that _no,_ Sakura would not obey this this time.

And Naruto, dense though he may be, was apparently acutely aware of the hostility that surrounded him. She had learned the day of the incident in the market. Once they had gotten away from the place she had throttled out the reason that he was being so calm and accepting of their malice from him and all that she had gotten was a small, broken smile and the words, _"They've always hated me. Ever since I can remember. I dunno why... but... it's always been like this. I'm used to it, Sakura-chan."_

After that his small smile had become bigger and realer and he announced that he would be Hokage one day so then they'd just _have_ to stop hating him then, and then he started going off about ramen, though Sakura still had no idea how he'd jumped from the topic of being Hokage to food like that. She just dismissed it as his being himself.

There was a tentative knock on the Haruno's front door just then and Sakura blinked, startled from her thoughts, and sensed Naruto standing outside of her house. Her scowl became a grin.

"Naruto's here!"

Jumping off her chair (but not before grabbing that last bite of her pancakes) she ran to the door. Standing on her toes and hopping slightly, pale hands latched onto the shiny bronze doorknob and turned it. The door swung open then to reveal a smiling Naruto on her front doorstep.

His hands were in his pockets - bright orange shorts, she noticed, along with an old looking black t-shirt with the Uzamaki swirl on it - and he scuffed his feet sheepishly. The simple black ninja sandals he wore were dirty looking and worn.

"Ready to go?" He asked loudly.

Sakura looked back into her house where she saw her mother and father talking quietly to themselves in the hallway, muttering and shooting dark looks in Naruto's direction.

She made a split decision.

"No, not quite yet. I still need ten minutes or so to put together my things, so how about you come in until then?" she asked sweetly.

Her mothers eyes widened in alarm.

Sakura suppressed a smirk.

Still on the doorstep, Naruto blinked slowly.

"But you told me yesterday that you were already-"

"Just. Come. In!" she ordered, grabbing his wrist and dragging him through the doorway. "Mom, Dad? Naruto is coming in for a while until I get my stuff together!"

"Now, sweetie just a second," Daiki began, stepping in her path as she began to ascend the stairs. "I don't want that-"

"It's only for a few minutes, daddy," Sakura explained with a childish pout.

"I know that sweetie, but that boy is-"

"My friend."

"I _know_ Sakura. What I mean is that he's not the kind of person your mother and I want inside of our house, understand?"

Sakura really didn't.

"No. I don't. He hasn't done a thing wrong to you or anyone else and if there's anything bad about him it's that he eats way too much ramen to be healthy. But even that's not too bad and I'm working on fixing that!"

"Sakura..."

"Daddy..." Sakura echoed pathetically.

Daiki Haruno sighed loudly.

"Ten minutes tops," he conceded and Sakura did a mental dance.

"Cool! Naruto, c'mon!" she ordered, grabbing his wrist and dragging him up the stairs with her.

"Wait!" called Yume as they ran. "Don't let him inside you're room-!"

Sakura, at the top of the stairs, looked back, stuck out her tongue, and slammed the door shut behind them. Hearing an enraged huff from her mother on the other side of the door, Sakura began to cackle with glee.

"Um... Sakura-chan...?" he asked slowly. "Are you, uh, okay?"

She turned to him and grinned like a Cheshire cat, Green eyes flashing. Naruto took a step back.

"What do you mean?" she asked sweetly.

"You're umm... cackling and stuff. Like an evil person, so..."

She blinked.

"Oops," she said with a soft laugh - a normal one this time - and began walking towards her bed. "I'm just happy, I guess."

Naruto followed her and they both say on the edge of the mattress.

"You've had your things packed since last week. Why did you lie and say that you still had a few things to do before you had to go?" he asked after a moment.

Sakura thought of how to respond and was silent.

"I guess..." she said slowly, "because I wanted tothem."

"Spite them?"

"Yeah. Because they don't like you or want you here and it just makes me _so angry_ that I wanted to bring you up here to piss them off, honestly."

Naruto smiled slightly and laughed.

"It's okay, Sakura-chan. No one really likes me 'cept for you, the Old Man, and Ayame-nee-chan and Old man Ichiraku, so I don't mind that much. You don't have to do anything special for someone like me."

Sakura glared at his tone.

"What's that supposed to mean? Some one like _you_? You make it sound like you're a bad person or something."

Why didn't he seem to understand? Why is it that he didn't seem to mind that he was treated the way that he was wherever it is that he went?

_Her_ Naruto would have yelled at them that one day he'd show them. He wouldn't have just taken it.

But once again Sakura had to remind herself that her Naruto was not the same as the on sitting beside her. She'd been having to do a lot of that lately. Reminding herself, that is.

"I just mean..." he looked up at the ceiling as he spoke, "that I'm not a good person."

Sakura sputtered.

"W-what? That's totally-"

"True?"

"_Not true!_ Naruto you're a wonderful person!"

This time his laugh was hollow. He looked away from the ceiling now and directly as her, spearing her with his sapphire gaze.

"No I'm not." His voice was absolute. "Because if I was, no one would hate me, now would they? No one would look at me and glare or tell their kids to never get near me. They wouldn't keep me out of their houses, or refuse to let me buys things, or- or... throw apples at my head!"

Sakura flinched at the last one because of the reminder of the event and because of his desperately sad voice.

"Naruto..."

The six-yearold stared at the floor for a very long time before suddenly standing up, a huge smile on his face as he asked, "So, do you have any cool toys in your room, Sakura-chan?"

Startled at the sudden change in mood, Sakura stood up as well.

"Naruto, you can't just change topics like that. I-"

"Not now Sakura-chan," Naruto muttered.

She closed her eyes slowly and sighed, indulging his wishes and answering his original question.

"Yeah," she told him. "They're in the chest over there."

Naruto quickly ran over to the large, white chest pushed up against the far wall of her room and threw it open. The chest was tall enough to reach right to Naruto's shoulders and Sakura wasn't sure how the boy was going to get into the stuff in there because he was so short, but obviously the challenge did not daunt him. A low gasp soon met her ears as Naruto examined the contents of the chest.

"You have so much _stuff_!" he exclaimed. "Wow!"

Toys ranging from stuffed animals to bouncy balls and even a small toy piano fell to the floor as Naruto looked through Sakura's things. Sakura watched with a slight wince as more and more of her stuff fell to the floor and she just _knew_ that it would be a pain to clean up later.

The dismembering of her toy box came to a sudden halt and Sakura watched as Naruto came to a stop and stared into what had to be the very bottom of the wooden chest, if the amount of stuff on the floor was anything to go by.

"Naruto...?" she asked slowly, watching as he practically climbed into the chest to reach in and pull out... a stuffed animal fox.

He just stared at it for a moment, taking in its wide amber eyes and smiling face. A white tipped, bushy tale swung loosely from where it was attached in the back.

"Kitsune," he muttered softly, and frowned.

"What?"

"Kitsune - fox. That's what some people call me. The villagers, I mean. I hear them mutter it as I pass by. I don't think that they know that I can hear them, but I can. I hear everything."

He brought up a small hand to the marks on his cheeks.

"I don't mind though," he whispered fiercely. "I _love_ foxes."

Sakura chuckled.

"Yeah, maybe it's because of your cheeks?" she asked, feigning ignorance.

Naruto hummed in acknowledgment of her statement and began turning the red fox around in his hands. After a quick hug to his chest, he looked back at her with hopeful eyes.

"Ne, Sakura-chan," he began. "Do you think that I-"

"Keep it."

Naruto's smile was nearly blinding as he lunged at her for a hug.

"Thank you!"

Sakura giggled at his enthusiasm, the depressing atmosphere from not long ago completely gone.

The two just lay on the bed for a while, laughing until their stomachs hurt even though they weren't too sure why. Whenever one would begin to stop, they'd look at the other and a whole round of laughter would start again.

"Wh-why are we- haha! - laughing?" Sakura asked through her giggles.

Naruto could only manage a weak shrug in response.

A new wave of laughter began.

That's how they were when her parents came to tell the two that the ten minutes were up.

"Sakura," Yume said loudly, opening the door with a scowl already on her face, "your time is-"

She surveyed the scene before her: two six-year-olds helpless with laughter for whatever reason. They both sat up immediately, eyes wide.

Daiki took a curious look at the two over his wife's head.

"Oh!" they both exclaimed at the same time. "Sorry! I didn't realize that-" they shared a look then, finding their accidental unison hilarious and snorted. "Pfft-!"

The laughter continued.

**XxXxX**

Naruto and Sakura walked out of the Haruno residence that day with smiles on their faces, albeit the time travelers was slightly more malicious than her blond counterparts.

When he had tentatively asked for an explanation, she'd simply told him once again that she was glad to be able to spite them. That the, "looks on their faces when I gave you the fox was simply _priceless_ because they couldn't do anything about it. They were _so_ mad. It was amazing!"

All in all, it was a good start of the day.

Now they were both headed to Konoha's ninja academy for their first day of classes. Sakura had a small pack on her shoulders with paper, pens, and other things that they had been told to buy for class. Naruto had nothing except for the fox which was held loosely in his hands.

"Where's your stuff?" she asked him with a frown, just noticing.

Naruto shrugged, still grinning.

"I didn't have enough money," he replied simply.

"But all of the supplies only costs 1000 ryo since students get everything half off."

Cobalt eyes blinked at this.

"Oh. Well they told _me_ that it cost 2000. And I didn't have that much!" he crossed his arms and frowned. "Why do they always have to _do_ that kind of stuff?"

A low growl ripped form Sakura's throat and she tore the black pack off of her back and shoved it at Naruto.

"Take this!" she ordered. "I'll buy some more stuff later. I wanted a red pack anyways... In fact, whenever we need supplies, _I'll_ buy them for you. Those stupid little-!"

She began muttering angrily under her breath and Naruto smiled tightly, accepting the pack and the supplies inside without question. Whenever Sakura got like this, arguing resulted in pain.

"Uh, Thanks, Sakura-chan."

"Your welcome," she said sweetly to him before returning to her angry mutters.

Naruto sighed.

**XxXxX**

When the two arrived at the academy, they both went silent in awe, though for two completely different reasons. Naruto's being that this was the place where he would train to become a _ninja_ and then become the _Hokage_ and when he was Hokage, everyone would like him and he'd have a _real_ pet fox and he would be able to declare every Friday Ramen Day and-!

Enough of that.

Sakura on the other hand, was in awe because it looked just like she remembered it pre-war, right down to the little swing tied to the tree near by.

Her eyes burned and Sakura had to blink back tears as she tugged on Naruto's worn out shirt.

"Hm?" he asked happily, not taking his eyes from the building before him.

"Let's go in."

"'Kay!"

**XxXxX**

The two walked through the mostly empty halls quietly. An hour before classes began, the only people in the building were teachers and other staff. Their footsteps echoed softly through the building.

"This is it," Sakura murmured excitedly, stopping before a large sliding door. A metal plate with the number 14 printed on it was bolted to the door.

Both grabbing the edge, they slid the door open and stepped into the room.

Row after row of benches with desks in front of them filled over half the room. A large blackboard was nailed to the front wall and the teachers' podium - Kokoro-sensei, Sakura recalled - sat front and center of it all.

Walking in, the two set down their things - or at least Naruto did as he was the only one who had his stuff - at the front of the room. They began looking around.

"Hey!" Naruto called. "Look at this!" tan fingers pointed to a large poster on one of the walls that depicted each of the hokages. Naruto's eyes were locked on the one with the sunny blond hair and cobalt blue eyes.

_'A mini Yondaime,'_ she thought softly. _'The resemblance is so obvious between the two...'_

"Which one is your favorite?" she asked aloud. She already knew the answer though.

"The fourth!" he shouted excitedly. "Because he's the one who saved the entire village from the Kyuubi! He was the bestest-"

"Best," Sakura broke in.

"_-Best_ Hokage of all! When I grow up, I'm gonna be _just_ like him!"

Sakura smiled wryly.

"I think that you can be even better than him," she informed cheerfully.

"You think?"

"I _know._"

"Awesome! And while I'll be the best Hokage ever, you'll be the best medic-slash-adviser ever, right?"

"Right!"

"_Awesome!_" Naruto cheered and raised his hand for a hive-five.

Sakura's hand met his and the two grinned at one another.

"Wanna go explore the rest of the school?" she asked him.

"You know it!"

The two dashed out of the room and ran down the halls, laughing. Sakura was in the lead and they stopped by each room, looking on the inside and ooh-ing and ahh-ing over certain things and pointing out and laughing at others. They had just left a room that belonged to third year students when she saw them.

Her first thought at the sight of them was that of distaste and she glared at the smallest figure in the group.

"Hey," Naruto murmured to her excitedly. "Another kid! Are those his parents? Who do you think they are? And why do they all have funny looking fans on their clothes? Isn't that the same symbol the guy from the market had on _his_ clothes? Didn't you say that you hated the people with those symbols? Because-"

"We should leave."

Her voice was soft but firm in her suggestion. Naruto frowned in surprise.

"But _why_?"

"They-"

"Excuse me," a rough voice asked suddenly and Sakura and Naruto both looked up to see Uchiha Fugaku and Mikoto standing in front of them. The latter shot a small smile towards Naruto who gave a shy wave back. A young Sasuke stood to the side, looking around with curious eyes. "Do you know where class 14, Kokoro Hitachin-sensei's, room is?"

Sakura glared at him.

"Perhaps," she clipped.

Fugaku stared in silence and Mikoto rose a delicate eyebrow.

_'Quite the fiery little thing,'_ The Uchiha matriarch mused with a slight tilt of her head.

"Will you lead us to it, onnanoko-san?" Mikoto asked kindly.

Sakura was silent for some time, arguing with herself in her head that Sasuke's parents had never done anything bad to her, so she shouldn't be rude to them, yet helping them would mean helping _him_ and she _really_ did not want to do that, but-

Mikoto smiled sweetly at her, waiting politely with patience.

She smiled just like her mother did.

Sakura crumbled.

"Follow me," she said finally, and Naruto grabbed her hand and jerked her towards him to whisper in her ear before they started walking.

"I thought that you didn't like those guys!" he exclaimed softly.

She batted him away.

"I don't," she said simply.

"Excuse me?" Mikoto asked in confusion beside them, her husband scowling silently beside her.

Sasuke simply watched them interact without a sound. Sakura hoped he would stay that way.

The time traveler waved them off.

"Nothing," she assured them. "Now, I was leading you to class 14?"

"Yes, please."

Without another word they began moving down the hall, Sakura and Naruto leading.

"Is this your first year?" Mikoto asked after a moment.

"Yup!" Naruto answered for the both of them. "Hi! I'm Uzamaki Naruto. Nice to meet you! You're really pretty by the way."

Mikoto giggled softly at his antics and gave a soft "Thank you," apparently uncaring of the fact that Naruto was the container of the Kyuubi. In fact, Sakura noticed, she almost seemed to... like him?

"You're very sweet," she said to him with a smile. "Are you excited to start the Academy?"

"Yeah! I've been waiting for ever!"

"That's nice, Naruto-kun." The boy blushed at the honorific. "I hope that you enjoy yourself very much and that you might become friends with my Sasuke."

Fugaku looked over at her with a slight widening of eyes.

"Mikoto," he muttered, "He's-"

Said person elbowed him roughly in the stomach and the head of the Uchiha's grunted in pain. Mikoto glared at him.

"He's adorable and sweet and you'll just have to get over it because there's nothing wrong with him at all!" she snapped.

Sakura and Naruto both blinked.

Ignoring her husband now, she looked back towards her son and beckoned him forward.

"Say hello, Sasuke," she told him.

The future traitor gave a little smile; very polite and very Uchiha. Very innocent.

So unlike the person he would become.

"Hello," he said with a nod to Naruto Sakura both.

Naruto nodded back and shouted out a hello of his own while Sakura resorted to muttering under her breath.

She stopped abruptly in front of a plain wooden sliding door that opened up to class 14. Stepping into the room, she gave a vague gesture for them to come in.

"We're here," she told them unenthusiastically.

"Thank you," Fugaku said gruffly and Sakura smiled slightly at him.

"You're welcome, Uchiha-san."

Walking to the front of the room and seating themselves in the front, Naruto and Sakura watched as Mikoto and Fugaku said goodbye to their son, the smiling Mikoto bending down to give her son a hug and a kiss before bullying her husband into doing the same. Beaming at the attention, Sasuke saw them off with a huge smile before taking a deep breath and walking into the classroom.

Having run around the school for a good half hour or so, there were twenty five minutes before class officially began and many students were in the room now. Sakura watched a small girl with platinum blond hair and pale blue eyes strut in with a huge smile on her face and seat herself in the middle of the rows of seats. Sakura made plans to talk to Ino later. Just behind her were two boys, one sleeping on his desk and the other eating loudly. So far, those were the only members of the rookie nine that had arrived, but Sakura saw other faces that she recognized scattered around the classroom: all ninjas that would fail in the end.

Sakura smiled at the sight.

"There's so many people," Naruto murmured with excitement. He grinned at her. "Just imagine! One day, I'm gonna be ordering all of them around because _I'm_ gonna be the Hokage!"

She rolled her eyes.

"I know, I know. And I'm going to be your head medic-slash-adviser. This is the nth time I've heard that speech, silly."

"What's 'nth'?'"

"Nth: denoting an unspecified member of a series of numbers or enumerated items."

Naruto just looked at her blankly.

"What's 'enumerated'? Heck, what's 'denoting' mean?"

"Ah, well enumerated-"

"Can I sit here?" someone asked, interrupting Sakura's vocabulary lesson and causing the two to look up.

Sasuke Uchiha stood there, trying his best to look calm, though the fact that he was continuously fidgeting and the way that he kept on looking down at the floor and back up again betrayed his nervousness completely.

He still had a ways to go before he perfected that Uchiha mask the clan was so famous for.

Apparently while Sakura and Naruto had been talking he'd wandered his way over to them and now he wanted to sit with them?

Sakura immediately opened her mouth to say no, but before she could even made a sound Naruto gave a loud and enthusiastic, "Of course you can!"

Sasuke's six-year-old face immediately lit up and Sakura was momentarily struck speechless because he's just looked to _happy_ and _relieved_ and so much like a little boy that was nervous for his first day of class and making new friends that she could do nothing but stare. Only...

At that very moment, that's just what he was.

But that was only in that moment. Because the truth was that he would grow up to be a traitor and a murderer that destroyed Konoha and killed her best friend. Or at least _if_ he grew up.

The medic had plans to dispose of him before that would happen.

_'And then I have Itachi to deal with_,' she thought to herself.

Sasuke set himself down beside a welcoming Naruto Uzamaki and immediately Sakura yanked him towards her.

"What are you doing?" she hissed at him in a low voice.

"What?" he hissed back. "He wanted to sit here so I let him! Besides, Mikoto-san wanted us to be friends."

"I know that, but I don't want to be friends with that boy!"

"Why not!"

"Because! He's a stuck up little aristocrat that probably thinks everyone is beneath him and that he's the best of the best!"

Naruto scowled.

"How would you know that?"

"I just do! _Look_ at him Naruto-" Sasuke sat there, looking blankly around the room before noticing that they were staring at him. He smiled. Okay. Not a good example. "-He just screams it!"

Azure eyes turned into ice.

"I thought that you were above judging people based on looks, Sakura-chan," he snarled at her. "Was I wrong?"

Sakura blinked, backtracking and realizing what she just said. She smacked herself mentally.

_'Stupid, stupid, stupid...!'_

"No!" she whispered quickly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way. Just... I have a _really_ bad feeling about him okay?"

Naruto sat back and eyed her for a moment.

"Well maybe you should give him a chance before deciding to cast him out, ne?"

Sakura scowled at him and looked away.

"Not in this case, no," she muttered darkly.

Naruto stared at his best friend who was acting very strangely today before turning to Sasuke.

"Sorry 'bout her," he apologized on his friends behalf, "She's just grumpy for some reason right now. She'll come around!"

"That's fine," Sasuke said easily and the two boys grinned at one another.

"So," you're gonna be a ninja too?"

Naruto sat down beside Sasuke who snorted at him.

"Well _duh_. Why else would I be here."

"Good point... Oh, hey! Do you know the _Ultra Man_ series with _Infra Man_ in it?"

"Yeah! I've got _all_ of the comics and the action figures!"

"Even the newest version of _Kaiju_?"

Sasuke was smug as he replied, "I got it just yesterday."

"Awesome..." Naruto breathed excitedly.

"Want me to bring it tomorrow?" the Uchiha offered.

"Heck yeah!"

"I will then. Want me to bring _Infra Man_ too?"

"You know it!"

"Alright then."

"Man, I don't know why Sakura-chan doesn't like you so much, but you're awesome! Can I call you Sasuke? Or do you want me to call you Uchiha-san or something?"

"If I can call you Naruto, just Sasuke is fine with me."

"Great! So what did you think of..."

The two laughed and launched into an intense talk about some sort of comic series while Sakura sat on the outside, listening and fuming.

Naruto laughed loudly at something that Sasuke said who gave a small smile in return. Sakura thought that he was so much more... lively than the Sasuke of her time line but maybe that was because the Uchiha massacre hadn't happened yet. He was still a little quiet though. Whatever. He was still a traitor.

And why the hell were the two getting along so well? They had _never_ been like that in her time line! The two always fought!

Sakura bit her lip.

Was it because she had befriended Naruto and the two just so happened to meet in a more civil way because of it?

_'Dammit!'_

Sakura needed to break them apart and fast. Because Sasuke... He was a murdering bastard and Sakura would _not_ let him grow up to kill her friend again.

**X.x.X**

**RFB:** Oh my cheese this chapter ended up being sooo long! It's like the words kept on having babies because they simply kept on multiplying! Eh. Oh well... might I say that proof reading this was awful? Because it was. Hopefully there weren't too many mistakes - there's just so many words and I have no Beta *shrugs*

Yeah... more likely than not I spelled stuff wrong (like names) - let me know what! Criticism is quite welcome and encouraged. Flamers... you're okay too I guess, but if you're gonna try and be mean: please use proper spelling/grammar/punctuation. Otherwise I can't take your hate seriously and just end up laughing my face off - oh wait! I do that anyway... Oh, and this time I dare one of you to leave a _signed_ review instead on an anonymous one. Anon flames are wimpy...

And oddly enough one of the things that kept me from updating were the names of those action figures. *blinks* I feel dumb now. :)

Review Because You're Awesome~!

(It's as simple as clicking a button. And on FF . net, we like buttons.)

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